(This article is part of Today’s Cache, The Hindu’s newsletter on emerging themes at the intersection of technology, innovation and policy. To get it in your inbox, subscribe here.)
OpenAI raises $6.6 billion
AI firm OpenAI has raised $6.6 billion in a new funding round pushing its valuation to $157 billion, one of the most highly valued private companies globally. Venture capital investors like Thrive Capital and Khosla Ventures led the investment along with Microsoft and new participation from AI chipmaker Nvidia. Besides, SoftBank, Altimeter Capital, Fidelity and Abu Dhabi’s state-backed investment firm MGX also were a part of the funding. Company CFO Sarah Friar informed employees that they will be able to cash out shares soon.
Last week, it was reported that the company would move away from a non-profit structure to a profitable one to entice investors even more. There was also a string of high-profile exits from the Sam Altman-led company including their Chief Technology Officer, Mira Murati leading to speculation that the departures were due to the restructuring efforts.
X agrees to pay Brazil fines
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has ordered to unblock X’s bank accounts in the country and agreed to pay more than $5 million as fine. Elon Musk’s platform had been suspended in Brazil since August 31 after allegations that X was spreading disinformation. Moraes had ordered to shut down the platform after Musk refused to remove right-wing accounts and failed to appoint a new legal representative as ordered.
Once the bank accounts have been unblocked, X will be able to receive the amount intended for the fine and then transfer it immediately. Musk has often voiced his opinion strongly about freedom of expression which turned into his profile brawl with Moraes leading to the ban. The platform reportedly had more than 22 million users in Brazil before this.
Microsoft revamps AI Copilot
Microsoft has updated its AI assistant Copilot with new features including a revamped voice and the ability to analyse web pages for users. A large team had reportedly worked on the new voice to make it more realistic and evolved. The underlying AI models of the voice are called Microsoft AI, or “MAI” models, along with a technology suite from partner OpenAI.
For Copilot Pro users who pay $20 per month, there’s a new feature being tested called “Think Deeper” which is able to help with decision-making like whether to move from a city or not. Another feature still is testing is Copilot Vision which gives users the ability to talk to AI about what they see in a Microsoft Edge browser. Eventually, Copilot is expected to analyse contents of a Word document or the Windows desktop and understand the context even better.
Published – October 03, 2024 03:08 pm IST
